City Voters have Three Choices for Two Seats

The Sidney City Council candidates were asked to respond to a few short questions regarding their candidacy. Below are their responses:

1. There appears to be a gradual economic recovery momentum in Sidney; more small businesses, medium to larger players showing interest in the area. How do you propose keeping the momentum positive? Joe Arterburn: Positive is the key word. It is the positive attitudes of Sidney residents creating the momentum; positive attitudes of former Cabela’s employees who have started businesses or taken new jobs, learning new skills and taking on new challenges; positive attitudes of those not affiliated with Cabela’s who remained; and positive attitudes of those now moving here that lead the recovery. Businesses interested in Sidney often mention that one of the many things attractive about our town is the attitudes of residents; that those who remained after the Cabela’s downsizing are here because they want to be here; they don’t want to leave. That is a powerful positive force. Most recently, Marcus Lemonis mentioned this when he announced plans to bring Camping World, a mattress factory and other business ventures to Sidney. Never underestimate the power of positive thinking.

It’s easy for naysayers and boo-birds to criticize city leaders while staying in the background but I’d challenge any of them, even with the benefit of hindsight over the past few years, to come up with a better plan of holding the line on expenses while promoting the continued economic development of our community. Burke Radcliffe: Unfortunately, I do not have an economic development easy button to push, nor do I have any pixie dust to spread around to promote economic growth. The reality is that economic development takes hard work. I believe it is everyone’s responsibility to help with attracting new businesses to Sidney. If you know of some contacts or possibilities that need investigated, please let our economic development director know so those leads can be followed up on. If you don’t have any leads, you can do your part by keeping your property looking nice so that Sidney is attractive to new prospective businesses. Loren Hoekema: I think we need to maintain an environment conducive to business. We need to do our best to present Sidney in the best light possible.

2. Economic recovery is not a quick process. How is the city doing on maintaining course financially? How do you propose doing better? Joe Arterburn: The city responded quickly and appropriately to the sale of Cabela’s and the resulting layoffs and population loss, most notably cutting expenses to the tune of $1 million the first year, another $1 million the next and $400,000 in the next year. Operating with bare-bones budgets can go on only so long until effects are noticed, employees lost, services cut, projects delayed and so forth. With Sidney’s economy showing a slight rebound, the city is looking ahead to restoring services and projects while still holding the line on expenses. City departments have planned well, putting money aside each year, saving bit by bit to cover necessary equipment and other expenses.Former City Manager Ed Sadler, current City Manager David Scott and our department heads deserve credit for getting us through with minimal noticeable disruptions and now taking steps to get back to a more normal course, without raising our tax levy asking this year. It is important the city does not live higher on the hog than the economy and financial condition of the community allows. City management and staff have done a good job getting us through this difficult time and it remains important we are spending wisely and getting the most for our money. That is why you see the City Council holding those receiving taxpayer funding accountable. If there is something I’d like to see done better, it is that, assuring tangible results for our investment in all groups and organizations. We can hold those organization’s leaders’ feet to the fire, but they need to take up the challenge and produce results. Burke Radcliffe: think that the city is doing surprisingly well financially compared to what I would have expected given the job losses that we have suffered. The city managers have done a good job of cutting back budgets to reflect the loss in revenue due to lower sales tax receipts and reduced property taxes due to reduced property values. In the future we need to take hard looks at bigger projects that would require the use of tax dollars to make sure it is a need and not a want. Loren Hoekema: Financially, during Cabela's the City got a little spendy. The City needs to get the absolute best from each buck spent.

3. What do you see as Sidney’s greatest need? Joe Arterburn: Economic development, which leads to jobs which leads to people moving to Sidney which leads to more commerce for local businesses and an improved housing market and a wider tax base to help share the load and enable our community to continue on the road to recovery. It will be difficult if not impossible to land another Cabela’s (Remember, it took 50 years for Cabela’s to build into a business powerhouse.) so we must build a step at a time, one business and one job at a time. Plus, with numerous job-producing businesses, even if they are small, we won’t have all our eggs in one basket. Burke Radcliffe: Besides economic development which we have already talked about, I think that housing is our biggest area of need right now. If we are going to land one or several businesses to utilize the old Cabela’s buildings, or cater to people who are looking to get out of metropolitan areas, then we don’t have enough housing for that to happen. I am not exactly sure of the solution but that is an area we as a community are going to have to address. Loren Hoekema: Each department in the City government needs to be “held to the fire.” Be sure purchases are not just wants, but needs.

4. What else would you like to share with the community? Joe Arterburn: Sidney still has the foundation that allowed Cabela’s to grow and succeed, the infrastructure, transportation network, technology channels, utilities, business buildings, available housing and though the knowledgeable workforce has dwindled, there are still plenty of skilled and talented people anxious to help the next new business grow and succeed here. Plus, don’t discount the numerous former Cabela’s employees watching and waiting their chance to return. Burke Radcliffe: I think Sidney is in a unique situation where we may be very appealing to those who are living in urban areas near here. People who are tired of traffic, high crime and ready to cash in on skyrocketing real estate prices or who are ready to retire to somewhere less hectic may find Sidney to be the ideal place. I think if that is something we want to focus on, we need to have a coordinated effort to market ourselves as such a place. We also need to get the feedback of those who have moved here already to see what types of things the community is lacking so we can act accordingly. Loren Hoekema: Sidney's greatest need is to fill empty buildings; need to diversify. “Ten businesses to one 'Cabela's'.” The city needs someone on the council with trade and tech experience, able to talk to tradesmen who meet with the council. “I think we need to run the city more efficiently.”